Time Travel with the 3rd generation (Rewrite)
by SomeRandomTeenGirl
Summary: The next generation are sent back in time after an incident which involved James Sirius Potter, a time-turner and a jar of pixie dust. After they arrive in the future a few books appear and Dumbledore decides to read them to the whole of Hogwarts.
1. The time turner

Hello. Welcome to 'time traveling with the third generation.'

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**epilogue**

Time travel with the 3rd generation

James Sirius Potter was sitting on the edge of a squashy couch fiddling with something in his hand. James had somehow managed to acquire a shimmering gold time turner. He stared intently at the time turner thinking. Bang! James's head shot up whilst he shoved the time turner behind his back. Just then a young redhead wandered in. ' Hi James ' the small girl said cheerfully. ' Hi Lils ' James replied trying not to look suspicious whilst he fingered the time turner. 'Whats behind your back?' asked a curious lily luna Potter. 'Okay i'll tell you, I found this in dad's study' he told her, taking the time turner from behind his back. 'Wow' ,Lily gazed intently at it her eyes full of wonder.

James was about to open his mouth when his cousins came through the door. Rose and Hugo Weasley walked over to them and spotted the time turner. Rose gasped, 'Where did you get that? 'she asked. James had just finished explaining about where he got the time turner when his younger brother Albus Severus Potter came running through the door and (not looking where he was going) bumped into James who tumbled backwards and smashed a jar of pixie dust which had previously been perched behind him on a small round table...

JAMES - AGE 15 ALBUS - AGE 14 LILY - AGE 12 ROSE - AGE 14 HUGO AGE 12

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Thanks for reading.


	2. We're in the past!

Hi again. Welcome to Chapter 2 of 'Time traveling with the third generation.'

Disclaimer - If I owned harry Potter Dobby wouldn't have died.

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SMASH!

The time turner collided with the pixie dust, which was all over the floor, and smashed into pieces. Slowly the room stared to be by darkness. the kids heads were spinning and after a few seconds they disappeared into the darkness...

James opened his eyes wearily and took in his new surroundings. He recognised this place as the great hall from hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry and suddenly realised that quite a few eyes were on him. He suddenly felt wide awake and stood up slowly, looking around. He took in the people staring at him before realising that the hall looked different. There at the gryffindor table was a clone of his father, Harry Potter (head auror and boy who lived.) Next to his young father was James's uncle Ron Weasley. Next to his uncle was Hermione Granger/Weasley who looked as confused as everyone in the hall.

A noise from behind him made him turn around. His siblings and cousins were slowly waking up. Once they had fully woken up and taken in there new surroundings they turned on James. Rose being the smartest out of them realised what had happened immediately and had no trouble confronting James.

"JAMES YOU IDIOT, YOU'VE SENT US TO THE PAST!" she screamed at him. "Why are you blaming me it was his fault", James pointed accusingly to his confused younger brother, "He ran into me" He finished, looking pleased for himself, because he (for once) was not the one in trouble.

"He Hem" Everyones heads turned, in the direction of the noise. There sitting at the teachers table was a round, toad like Woman who was dressed in the brightest hot pink colour. James recognised the face of this unpleasant woman from a picture in an old daily prophet. He also remembered overhearing his parents and his aunt and uncle discussing her and from what he heard they didn't seem to like her.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" came the sickly sweet voice of Umbridge.

"We're from the future" said Rose innocently also recognising the woman. "Way to break it to them Rosie" came the voice of Hugo from underneath the pile of children (which he had unfortunately ended up at the bottom of.) "What do you mean your from the future?" asked Hermione. "Be quiet Miss Granger" said umbridge scornfully, "They are quite clearly lying" she continued. The future kids caught each others eyes and looked away hurriedly.

"Do you have any proof you are who you say you are?" a kind and gentle male voice spoke up from the teachers table. The children looked up and saw someone who they had only ever heard of. Professor Dumbledore.

The children from the future looked at each other uncertainly...

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Once again, thank you for reading ~ Scarlett


	3. The Potters

Disclaimer - Still own nothing...

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"Can you tell us your full names and your age and your house and who your parents are?" Dumbledore continued. "Of course professor" said Rose who was still awestruck from seeing the 'greatest wizard of all time' who was dead in their time.

James pushed to the front of the group and spoke up. 'I'm James Sirius Potter and i'm 15 years of age and am the most amazing potter kid in the whole family' he said confidently (secretly he was enjoying the attention of the whole hall.) ' I'm in gryffindor (cue cheers from the gryffindor table) My parents are ... wait for it ... the famous Harry Potter and the one and only Ginerva Weasley' James said dramatically. All eyes turned to harry who was still trying to process the information he had just been told. Ginny however was the colour of her hair and was suddenly very interested in her nails. Romilda Vane and her friends were glaring at the back of Ginny's head jealousy.

"Wait a minute, YOU KNOCKED UP OUR LITTLE SISTER?!" The Weasley brothers shouted at Harry, who sunk into his seat, feeling the weasleys glares on the back of his head.

Albus, sensing an argument, made his way to the front. Everyone stared at him. He was an exact copy of Harry. My name is Albus (severus he mumbled quietly) Potter, im the second eldest child of Ginny and Harry. I am unfortunately related to this idiot (he pointed to James who was currently looking at his reflection in a pocket mirror) I am also in gryffindor and I am the quidditch team seeker. I'm 14 and I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good' He finished. James was quick to point out he was a marauder too.

"Next up our tiny little sister" James said as Lily hit him upside the head. ' My name is Lily Luna Potter, I am a gryffindor, i'm 12 and i'm the only smart one in the family (excluding Rose) And my parents are Harry and Ginny" she finished taking a deep breath. Everyone in the hall was amazed that a girl that small could say all that without taking a breath in the middle

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Next intro's are the weasleys, Yay!


	4. Two weasleys and a Malfoy

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything - all credit to J.K. Rowling**

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(previously) 'Next intro's are the weasleys'  
said James, looking excited.

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Ron's head jerked up. Did this mean one of his brothers had had children, he wondered.

He eyed Rose warily, her eyes were definitely familiar. Rose was now at the front. "My name is Rose Weasley" she started. "I'm in Gryffindor, I'm 14 and my parents are Ron weasley (Ron nearly fainted) and Hermione Granger" She finished. (Hermione looked like she was about to have a heart attack.)

Hugo shoved past his cousins to get to the front. "My name is Hugo weasley, I'm the youngest child of Hermione and Ron,

("another weasley, just what we need" whispered Draco Malfoy to Astoria Greengrass, who promptly slapped him across the cheek,)

"I'm also a gryffindor," Hugo said.

Suddenly there was a blinding blue light and there was a slender boy with sleek blond hair, cold blue/grey eyes, a pale complexion and pointed features.

Rose ran up to him and hugged him around the neck. The boy hugged her back before looking around carefully. 'So this is what happened to you.' he stated. "your parents are worried sick."

Ron who was looking between Rose and the young boy, looking horrified, the boy was a spitting image of Draco Malfoy (who was sat in his seat, nursing the cheek that Astoria had slapped.)

"Who are you" He asked quite forcefully, his overprotective dad instincts kicked in. The boy looked at the other children and then walked to the front.

"My name is Scorpius Malfoy, I'm in Slytherin, i'm 14 and my parents are Draco Malfoy and Astoria Malfoy/Greengrass."  
... There was silence.

Malfoy was staring incredulously at Astoria, who was glaring at him intensely and looking slightly ill.

James started nudging him and looking towards Rose.

Scorpius sighed and added "I am also dating Rose Weasley." Once again there was silence. Ron broke it by standing up and yelling,

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

Scorpius looked slightly fearful, whilst James laughed, before saying, "Thats exactly what he said when _I_ told him that."

James stopped noticing his mistake.

**"You were the one that told him!"** Rose shouted, looking ready to kill someone.

"Whoops," James muttered to himself.

Lily jumped. All eyes turned to her. She fearfully put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a glowing galleon. The DA gasped, recognising it instantly as their way of communication.

The future children stared at it, there hearts sinking. 'Answer it' Rose said sighing.  
Lily did as she was told and almost instantly a voice started shouting at them.

"LILY LUNA POTTER!" Came the voice of Ginny Weasley.

The hall winced, It was very loud.

"WHERE ARE YOU, AND ARE THE OTHERS WITH YOU."

"Hi mum" Lily said carefully, "Everyone's here and so is Scorpius."

"WHERE ARE YOU LILY!" Lily looked helpless before she replied,

"you won't believe us," she said.

"Try me," Ginny said.

The kids looked at each other before James replied, feeling sorry for his sister,

"We had an accident with a time turner and some pixie dust," James said looking very guilty.

"James are you in the past?" came a calm voice, everyone recognised as Harry's.

"Yeah," Albus said giving in. "We are in Hogwarts and we're in your 5th year," Future Harry sighed before saying, "You'll have to stay at Hogwarts while we try to fix this, I'll also have the honor of telling your parents where you are."

The coin stopped buzzing and went back to looking like an ordinary coin.

The students and teachers around them exchanged knowing looks. Dumbledore stood up and opened his mouth.

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Till next time ~ Scarlett


	5. The books

I'm back and I still don't own anything...

(Previously)

Dumbledore stood up and opened his mouth...

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When three thick books fell from the ceiling. They landed with a thump! in the middle of the gryffindors table. The DA pulled their wands out, closely followed by the teachers.

James edged closer to the books slowly. "Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the half blood prince and Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows," He read out.

The children from the future exchanged confused glances. Their parents hadn't told them much about the war but they had overheard stuff about the order and the Deathly Hallows.

At the teacher's table Umbridge was looking extremely sour, Potter was the centre of attention again, she thought bitterly.

The other teachers were looking slightly alarmed. How could these books know about the order.

The students were just plain confused. It had been a long day, first a group of children appeared from the future and then a bunch of books fell from the sky.

A piece of parchment apperated onto the biggest book. Rose leaned over and began to read the cursive writing on it, out loud.

"These books are full of information about the future which will help to keep everyone in the hall safe. The books are based on Harry Potters life and have his thought and feelings in them. Please read them to the hall and also to the order and the whole weasley family." She finished looking at the note, clearly interested in it.

The hall broke out into chatter. Umbridge was now looking pleased. Now the students would see Potters lies and Potter would stop going on about how you-know-who was back.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and called the hall to order before striding over to the books. He started muttering spells under his breath. After about a minute he stood up.

"These books don't seem to be dangerous so tomorrow all lessons will be canceled and we will read these books."

"James, Albus, Hugo and Scorpius, I'm sure there will be space in the Gryffindor 5th years boys dorm."

Ron's mouth fell open. "We have to share with him!" He pointed to Scorpius, who looked like he was used to Ron's ideas about Malfoys. When know one answered him he started muttering to himself.

"Rose, Lily could you share with the 5th year girls." It wasn't really a question but Rose and Lily definitely didn't mind.

The hall emptied and everyone went to their dorms...

I'll update soon.


	6. Dudley Demented

Chapter 6 - Dudley Demented. Onto the book reading!

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The next morning everyone gathered in the hall.

Everybody was buzzing with excitement. The future gang had come down to breakfast in their group and were huddled together at the Gryffindor table discussing the books when the huge double doors flew open. In came The order, the Weasleys, The Minister for Magic and his companion Amelia Bones and finally a big black dog, who's tail started wagging when he caught sight of Harry.

"It's the grim!" Trelawney fell silent after Umbridge shot her a disapproving glare

After the students had finished eating Dumbledore stood up.

"We will start with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." He said looking slightly confused at the end of the title.

Heads turned to Harry who sunk in his chair, looking at the ground.

Dumbledore drew the attention off of Harry and began reading,

**The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large square houses of Privet Drive. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were once emerald green lay parched and yellowing -**

"What happened?" There were whispers around the hall.

**\- for the use of hose-pipes had been banned due to drought.**

**Deprived of their usual car washing and lawn-mowing pursuits, the inhabitants of Privet drive had retreated into the shade of their cool houses, windows thrown wide in hope of attempting in a nonexistent breeze. The only person left outdoors was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flower bed outside number four.**

**He was a skinny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who had the pinched, slightly unhealthy look of someone who had grown a lot in a short space. His jeans were torn and dirty, his T-shirt baggy and faded, the soles of his trainers were peeling away from the uppers.**

"Is that you Harry?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry shrugged. He didn't want any sympathy.

**Harry Potters appearance did not endear him to the neighbours, who were the sort of people who thought scruffiness ought to be punishable by law, but as he had hidden himself behind a large hydrangea bush this evening he was quite invisible to passers-by. In fact, the only way he would be spotted was if his Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia stuck their heads out of the living-room window and looked straight down into the flowerbed below.**

**On the whole, Harry thought he was to be congratulated on his idea of hiding here. He was not, perhaps, very comfortable lying on the hot, hard earth but, on the other hand, nobody was glaring at him, grinding their teeth so loudly that he could not hear the news, or shooting nasty questions at him, as had happened every time he had tried sitting down in the living room to watch television with his aunt and uncle.**

Many people frowned.

**Almost as though this thought had fluttered through the open window, Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle, suddenly spoke.**

**'Glad to see the boy's stopped trying to butt in. Where is he, anyway?'**

**'I don't know,' said Aunt Petunia, unconcerned. 'Not in the house.'**  
**Uncle Vernon grunted.**

**'Watching the news . . .' he said scathingly. 'I'd like to know what he's really up to. As if a normal boy cares what's on the news - 'Dudley hasn't got a clue what's going on; doubt he knows who the Prime Minister is! Anyway, it's not as if there'd be anything about his lot on our news - '**  
**'Vernon, shh!' said Aunt Petunia. The window's open!'**

**'Oh - yes - sorry, dear.'**

**The Dursleys fell silent. Harry listened to a jingle about Fruit 'n' Bran breakfast cereal while he watched Mrs Figg, a batty cat-loving old lady from nearby Wisteria Walk, amble slowly past. She was frowning and muttering to herself. Harry was very pleased he was concealed behind the bush, as Mrs Figg had recently taken to asking him round for tea whenever she met him in the street. She had rounded the corner and vanished from view before Uncle Vernon's voice floated out of the window again.**

"Offering you tea is nice of her." a first year Hufflepuff said.

**'Dudders out for tea?'**

There were snorts all around the hall. "Dudders?"

**'At the Polkisses',' said Aunt Petunia fondly. 'He's got so many little friends, he's so popular . . .'**  
**Harry suppressed a snort with difficulty. The Dursleys really were astonishingly stupid about their son, Dudley. They had swallowed all his dim-witted lies about having tea with a different member of his gang every night of the summer holidays.**

**Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley had not been to tea anywhere; he and his gang spent every evening vandalizing the play park, smoking on street corners and throwing stones at passing cars and children.**

People began to frown again.

"That's not like Uncle Dudley," Lily whispered to Albus, who nodded in agreement. It was true, Dudley had changed for the better after the war, so the young Potters had never known him any differently.

**Harry had seen them at it during his evening walks around Little Whinging; he had spent most of the holidays wandering the streets, scavenging newspapers from bins along the way.**  
**The opening notes of the music that heralded the seven o'clock news reached Harry's ears and his stomach turned over. Perhaps tonight - after a month of waiting - would be the night.**  
**'Record numbers of stranded holidaymakers fill airports as the Spanish baggage-handlers' strike reaches its second week -**

**'Give 'em a lifelong siesta, I would,' snarled Uncle Vernon over the end of the news readers sentence, but no matter: outside in the flowerbed, Harry's stomach seemed to unclench. If anything had happened, it would surely have been the first item on the news; death and destruction were more important than stranded holidaymakers.**

"You'd think that but muggles _are_ stupid, _Sooo.._." Draco said trailing off. The Slytherins that heard snickered.

"You're one to talk about stupid Malfoy." The hall went quiet. Neville Long-bottom was standing up and glaring over to the Slytherin table. Everyone was shocked. Neville had never stood up to anyone before so this was a surprise to them.

**He let out a long, slow breath and stared up at the brilliant blue sky. Every day this summer had been the same: the tension, the expectation, the temporary relief, and then mounting tension again . . . and always, growing more insistent all the time, the question of why nothing had happened yet.**

**He kept listening, just in case there was some small clue, not recognised for what it really was by the Muggles - an unexplained disappearance, perhaps, or some strange accident . . . but the baggage-handlers' strike was followed by news about the drought in the Southeast ('I hope he's listening next door!' bellowed Uncle Vernon. 'Him with his sprinklers on at three in the morning!'), then a helicopter that had almost crashed in a field in Surrey, then a famous actress's divorce from her famous husband ('As if we're interested in their sordid affairs,' sniffed Aunt Petunia, who had followed the case obsessively in every magazine she could lay her bony hands on).**

"Still the same there then," Snape muttered to himself.

**Harry closed his eyes against the now blazing evening sky as the newsreader said, '- and finally, Bungy the budgie has found a novel way of keeping cool this summer. Bungy, who lives at the Five Feathers in Barnsley, has learned to water ski! Mary Dorkins went to find out more.'**  
**Harry opened his eyes. If they had reached water-skiing budgerigars, there would be nothing else worth hearing. He rolled cautiously on to his front and raised himself on to his knees and elbows, preparing to crawl out from under the window.**  
**He had moved about two inches when several things happened in very quick succession.**

**A loud, echoing crack broke the sleepy silence like a gunshot; a cat streaked out from under a parked car and flew out of sight; a shriek, a bellowed oath and the sound of breaking china came from the Dursleys' living room, and as though this was the signal Harry had been waiting for he jumped to his feet, at the same time pulling from the waistband of his jeans a thin wooden wand as if he were unsheathing a sword**

"What happened" asked a few scared 2nd years.

**but before he could draw himself up to full height, the top of his head collided with the Dursleys' open window. The resultant crash made Aunt Petunia scream even louder.**

**Harry felt as though his head had been split in two. Eyes streaming, he swayed, trying to focus on the street to spot the source of the noise, but he had barely staggered upright when two large purple hands reached through the open window and closed tightly around his throat.**

**'Put - it - away!' Uncle Vernon snarled into Harry's ear. 'Now! Before - anyone - sees!'**

**'Get - off - me!' Harry gasped. For a few seconds they struggled, Harry pulling at his uncle's sausage-like fingers with his left hand, his right maintaining a firm grip on his raised wand; then, as the pain in the top of Harry's head gave a particularly nasty throb, Uncle Vernon yelped and released Harry as though he had received an electric shock. Some invisible force seemed to have surged through his nephew, making him impossible to hold.**

**Panting, Harry fell forwards over the hydrangea bush, straightened up and stared around. There was no sign of what had caused the loud cracking noise, but there were several faces peering through various nearby windows. Harry stuffed his wand hastily back into his jeans and tried to look innocent.**  
**'Lovely evening!' shouted Uncle Vernon, waving at Mrs Number Seven opposite, who was glaring from behind her net curtains. 'Did you hear that car backfire just now? Gave Petunia and me quite a turn!'**

**He continued to grin in a horrible, manic way until all the curious neighbours had disappeared from their various windows, then the grin became a grimace of rage as he beckoned Harry back towards him.**  
**Harry moved a few steps closer, taking care to stop just short of the point at which Uncle Vernon's outstretched hands could resume their strangling.**

Professor McGonagall glared at Dumbledore. Harry should never have gone to the Dursleys.

**'What the devil do you mean by it, boy?' asked Uncle Vernon in a croaky voice that trembled with fury.**

**'What do I mean by what?' said Harry coldly. He kept looking left and right up the street, still hoping to see the person who had made the cracking noise.**

**'Making a racket like a starting pistol right outside our - '**

"He didn't do it." Hermione glared at the book.

"You do know you're talking to a book, Mum." Rose said in a know it all manner.

**'I didn't make that noise,' said Harry firmly.**  
**Aunt Petunia's thin, horsy face now appeared beside Uncle Vernon's wide, purple one.**

"Charming." Scorpius said sarcastically.

**'Why were you lurking under our window?'**

**'Yes - yes, good point, Petunia! What were you doing under our window, boy?'**

**'Listening to the news,' said Harry in a resigned voice.**  
**His aunt and uncle exchanged looks of outrage.**

**'Listening to the news! Again?'**

"At least he show an interest in it." A Ravenclaw, muggle-born murmured.

**'Well, it changes every day, you see,' said Harry.**

A few people laughed.

**'Don't you be clever with me, boy! I want to know what you're really up to - and don't give me any more of this listening to the news tosh! You know perfectly well that your lot - '**

"What does he mean by that?" Someone asked indignantly.

"He means witches and wizards." Harry said with distaste.

Suddenly everyone was shouting.

"We're better than them!"

"Who do they think they are?"

When everyone calmed down, Dumbledore continued reading.

**'Careful, Vernon!' breathed Aunt Petunia, and Uncle Vernon lowered his voice so that Harry could barely hear him,' - that your lot don't get on our news!'**

**That's all you know,' said Harry.**

**The Dursleys goggled at him for a few seconds, then Aunt Petunia said, 'You're a nasty little liar. What are all those - ' she, too, lowered her voice so that Harry had to lip-read the next word, ' - owls doing if they're not bringing you news?'**

**'Aha!' said Uncle Vernon in a triumphant whisper. 'Get out of that one, boy! As if we didn't know you get all your news from those pestilential birds!'**

**Harry hesitated for a moment. It cost him something to tell the truth this time, even though his aunt and uncle could not possibly know how bad he felt at admitting it.**

**'The owls . . . aren't bringing me news,' he said tonelessly.**

**'I don't believe it,' said Aunt Petunia at once.**

**'No more do I,' said Uncle Vernon forcefully.**

**'We know you're up to something funny' said Aunt Petunia.**

**'We're not stupid, you know,' said Uncle Vernon.**

"Yes you are!" was heard all around the hall.

**'Well, that's news to me,' said Harry, his temper rising, and before the Dursleys could call him back, he had wheeled about, crossed the front lawn, stepped over the low garden wall and was striding off up the street.**

**He was in trouble now and he knew it. He would have to face his aunt and uncle later and pay the price for his rudeness, but he: did not care very much just at the moment; he had much more pressing matters on his mind.**  
**Harry was sure the cracking noise had been made by someone Apparating or Disapparating. It was exactly the sound Dobby the house-elf made when he vanished into thin air. Was it possible that Dobby was here in Privet Drive? Could Dobby be following him right at this very moment? As this thought occurred he wheeled around and stared back down Privet Drive, but it appeared to be completely deserted and Harry was sure that Dobby did not know how to become invisible.**

"Who's Dobby?" Dean asked curiously.

Harry was about to answer when Draco Malfoy interrupted,

"My old house elf, Dobby?" He asked incredulously.

"Must be, how many other Dobby's are there." Harry replied, smirking at the look on Draco's face.

"But my father told my mother he set the elf free..." Draco said, puzzled.

**He walked on, hardly aware of the route he was taking, for he had pounded these streets so often lately that his feet carried him to his favourite haunts automatically. Every few steps he glanced back over his shoulder. Someone magical had been near him as he lay among Aunt Petunia's dying begonias, he was sure of it. Why hadn't they spoken to him, why hadn't they made contact, why were they hiding now?**

"You shouldn't been out on your own, dear" Mrs Weasley fretted.

At the teachers table, Umbridge rolled her eyes.

To her, all Potter wanted was attention.

**And then, as his feeling of frustration peaked, his certainty leaked away.**  
**Perhaps it hadn't been a magical sound after all. Perhaps he was so desperate for the tiniest sign of contact from the world to which he belonged that he was simply overreacting to perfectly ordinary noises. Could he be sure it hadn't been the sound of something breaking inside a neighbour's house?**

**Harry felt a dull, sinking sensation in his stomach and before he knew it the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued him all summer rolled over him once again.**  
**Tomorrow morning he would be woken by the alarm at five o'clock so he could pay the owl that delivered the Daily Prophet - but was there any point continuing to take it? Harry merely glanced at the front page before throwing it aside these days; when the idiots who ran the paper finally realised that Voldemort was back it would be headline news, and that was the only kind Harry cared about.**

"He isn't back." Fudge said scornfully.

Harry didn't even bother arguing.

**If he was lucky, there would also be owls carrying letters from his best friends Ron and Hermione, though any expectation he'd had that their letters would bring him news had long since been dashed.**  
**We can't say much about you-know-what, obviously . . . We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray . . . We're quite busy but I can't give you details here . . . There's a fair amount going on, we'll tell you everything when we see you . . .**

Ron and Hermione gave Harry looks that quite clearly said "sorry."

**But when were they going to see him? Nobody seemed too bothered with a precise date. Hermione had scribbled I expect we'll be seeing you quite soon inside his birthday card, but how soon was soon? As far as Harry could tell from the vague hints in their letters, Hermione and Ron were in the same place, presumably at Ron's parents' house. He could hardly bear to think of the pair of them having fun at The Burrow when he was stuck in Privet Drive. In fact, he was so angry with them he had thrown away, unopened, the two boxes of Honeydukes chocolates they'd sent him for his birthday. He'd regretted it later, after the wilted salad Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night.**  
**And what were Ron and Hermione busy with? Why wasn't he, Harry, busy? Hadn't he proved himself capable of handling much more than them? Had they all forgotten what he had done? Hadn't it been he who had entered that graveyard and watched Cedric being murdered, and been tied to that tombstone and nearly killed?**

"Stop dramatizing Potter." Draco called out to the Gryffindor table.

**Don't think about that, Harry told himself sternly for the hundredth time that summer. It was bad enough that he kept revisiting the graveyard in his nightmares, without dwelling on it in his waking moments too.**  
**He turned a corner into Magnolia Crescent; halfway along he passed the narrow alleyway down the side of a garage where he had first clapped eyes on his godfather. Sirius, at least, seemed to understand how Harry was feeling.**

"Fudge, Amelia Bones, Umbridge and all the students who didn't know about Sirius being innocent, stared at Harry.

"Potter he betrayed your parents." Amelia said.

"So you know where he is then?" Fudge sneered at him.

"Actually Minister, he's in this room." Harry said. "He's also innocent." He finished glaring at Fudge.

Sirius transformed back into human form.

Everyone screamed and few people fainted.

"Minister." Sirius glared at Fudge.

Fudge was reaching before he realised it wasn't in his pocket. He looked up to see James Potter playing catch with it. James felt Fudges gaze on him and looked up for a second, before waving and continuing to play catch. Fudge turned back to the supposed mass murderer.

"Sirius Is innocent!" Harry repeated louder.

Madame Bones turned to Sirius who told her everything that happened on the fateful night Lily and James Potter died.

When Sirius had finished his story, Madame Bones cut in.

"Why didn't you say anything at your trial?"

Sirius suddenly looked indignant.  
"What trial? They never gave me one."

Madame Bones turned to Fudge who looked sheepish. Blacks tale did sound true. If Black was telling the truth he would be in a lot of trouble.

Professor Snape pulled a bottle of Veritaserum from his pocket and handed it to Sirius, who swallowed some.

"Are you innocent?" Fudge asked.

"Yes" Came Sirius's strangled reply.

Everyone gasped. Fudge looked stunned. He was definitely out of a job now.

Sirius recovered and pushed past Fudge to sit with Harry.

**Admittedly, his letters were just as empty of proper news as Ron and Hermione's, but at least they contained words of caution and consolation instead of tantalising hints: I know this must be frustrating for you . . . Keep your nose clean and everything will be OK . . .Be careful and don't do anything rash . . .**

**Well, thought Harry, as he crossed Magnolia Crescent, turned into Magnolia Road and headed towards the darkening play park, he had (by and large) done as Sirius advised. He had at least resisted the temptation to tie his trunk to his broomstick and set off for The Burrow by himself. In fact, Harry thought his behaviour had been very good considering how frustrated and angry he felt at being stuck in Privet Drive so long, reduced to hiding in flowerbeds in the hope of hearing something that might point to what Lord Voldemort was doing. Nevertheless, it was quite galling to be told not to be rash by a man who had served twelve years in the wizard prison, Azkaban, escaped, attempted to commit the murder he had been convicted for in the first place, then gone on the run with a stolen Hippogriff.**

"What Hippogriff?" Hagrid asked confused. The Trio bent their heads down and didn't answer.

**Harry vaulted over the locked park gate and set off across the parched grass. The park was as empty as the surrounding streets. When he reached the swings he sank on to the only one that Dudley and his friends had not yet managed to break, coiled one arm around the chain and stared moodily at the ground. He would not be able to hide in the Dursleys' flowerbed again. Tomorrow, he would have to think of some fresh way of listening to the news. In the meantime, he had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when he escaped the nightmares about Cedric he had unsettling dreams about long dark corridors, all finishing in dead ends and locked doors, which he supposed had something to do with the trapped feeling he had when he was awake. Often the old scar on his forehead prickled uncomfortably, but he did not fool himself that Ron or Hermione or Sirius would find that very interesting any more. In the past, his scar hurting had warned that Voldemort was getting stronger again, but now that Voldemort was back they would probably remind him that its regular irritation was only to be expected . . . nothing to worry about . . . old news . . .**

**The injustice of it all welled up inside him so that he wanted to yell with fury. If it hadn't been for him, nobody would even have known Voldemort was back! And. his reward was to be stuck in Little Whinging for four solid weeks, completely cut off from the magical world, reduced to squatting among dying begonias so hat he could hear about water-skiing budgerigars! How could Dumbledore have forgotten him so easily? Why had Ron and Hermione got together without inviting him along, too? How much longer was he supposed to endure Sirius telling him to sit tight and be a good boy; or resist the temptation to write to the stupid Daily Prophet and point out that Voldemort had returned? These curious thoughts whirled around in Harry's head, and his insides writhed with anger as a sultry, velvety night fell around him, the air full of the smell of warm, dry grass, and the only sound that of the low grumble of traffic on the road beyond the park railings.**

**He did not know how long he had sat on the swing before the sound of voices interrupted his musings and he looked up. The street lamps from the surrounding roads were casting a misty glow strong enough to silhouette a group of people making their way across the park. One of them was singing a loud, crude song. The others were laughing. A soft ticking noise came from several expensive racing bikes that they were wheeling along.**  
**Harry knew who those people were. The figure in front was unmistakably his cousin, Dudley Dursley wending his way home, accompanied by his faithful gang.**

Harry shook his head, Dudley's gang were idiots.

**Dudley was as vast as ever,**

Fred and George snorted remembering the sweets accident the previous year. No amount of dieting could rescue Dudley now.

**but a year's hard dieting and the discovery of a new talent had wrought quite a change in his physique. As Uncle Vernon delightedly told anyone who would listen, Dudley had recently become the Junior Heavyweight Inter-school Boxing Champion of the Southeast. 'The noble sport', as Uncle Vernon called it, had made Dudley even more formidable than he had seemed to Harry in their primary school days when he had served as Dudley's first punchball.**

The DA growled protectively.

**Harry was not remotely afraid of his cousin any more but he still didn't think that Dudley earning to punch harder and more accurately was cause for celebration. Neighbourhood children all around were terrified of him - even more terrified than they were of 'that Potter boy' who, they lad been warned, was a hardened hooligan and attended St Brutus's secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys.**

**Harry watched the dark figures crossing the grass and wondered who they had been beating up tonight. Look round, Harry found himself thinking as he watched them. Come on . . . look round . . . I'm sitting here all alone . . . come and have a go . . .**

**If Dudley's friends saw him sitting here, they would be sure to make a beeline for him, and what would Dudley do then? He wouldn't want to lose face in front of the gang, but he'd be terrified of provoking Harry . . . it would be really fun to watch Dudley's dilemma, to taunt him, watch him, with him powerless to respond . . . and if any of the others tried hitting Harry, he was ready - he had his wand. Let them try . . . he'd love to vent some of his frustration on the boys who had once made his life hell.**  
**But they didn't turn around, they didn't see him, they were almost at the railings. Harry mastered the impulse to call after them . . . seeking a fight was not a smart move . . . he must not use magic he would be risking expulsion again.**

Mrs Weasley, Hermione and Rose nodded approvingly.

**The voices of Dudley's gang died away; they were out of sight, heading along Magnolia Road.**  
**There you go, Sirius, Harry thought dully. Nothing rash. Kept my nose clean. Exactly the opposite of what you'd have done.**  
**He got to his feet and stretched. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon seemed to feel that whenever Dudley turned up was the right time to be home, and any time after that was much too late. Uncle Vernon had threatened to lock Harry in the shed if he came home alter Dudley ever again, so, stifling a yawn, and still scowling, Harry set off towards the park gate.**  
**Magnolia Road, like Privet Drive, was full of large, square houses with perfectly manicured lawns, all owned by large, square owners who drove very clean cars similar to Uncle Vernon's. Harry preferred Little Whinging by night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel-bright colour in the darkness and he ran no danger of hearing disapproving mutters about his 'delinquent' appearance when he passed the householders.**

**He walked quickly, so that halfway along Magnolia Road Dudley's gang came into view again; they were saying their farewells at the entrance to Magnolia Crescent. Harry stepped into the shadow of a large lilac tree and waited.**  
**'. . . squealed like a pig, didn't he?' Malcolm was saying, to guffaws from the others.**

**'Nice right hook, Big D,' said Piers.**

**'Same time tomorrow?' said Dudley.**

**'Round at my place, my parents will be out,' said Gordon.**

**'See you then,' said Dudley.**

**'Bye, Dud!'**

**'See ya, Big D!'**

**Harry waited for the rest of the gang to move on before setting off again. When their voices had faded once more he headed around the corner into Magnolia Crescent and by walking very quickly he soon came within hailing distance of Dudley, who was strolling along at his ease, humming tunelessly.**

**'Hey, Big D!'**  
**Dudley turned.**

**'Oh,' he grunted. 'It's you.'**

**'How long have you been "Big D" then?' said Harry.**

**'Shut it,' snarled Dudley, turning away.**

**'Cool name,' said Harry, grinning and falling into step beside is cousin. 'But you'll always be "Ickle Diddykins" to me.'**

Everyone chuckled at the odd nicknames Dudley was given.

**'I said, SHUT IT!' said Dudley, whose ham-like hands had curled into fists.**

**'Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you?'**

**'Shut your face.'**

**'You don't tell her to shut her face. What about "Popkin" and "Dinky Diddydums", can I use them then?'**

Now everyone was laughing.

**Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting Harry seemed to demand all his self-control.**  
**'So who've you been beating up tonight?' Harry asked, his grin fading. 'Another ten-year-old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago - '**  
**'He was asking for it,' snarled Dudley.**  
**'Oh yeah?'**  
**'He cheeked me.'**  
**'Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on its hind legs? 'Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true.'**

**A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw. It gave Harry enormous satisfaction to know how furious he was making Dudley; he felt as though he was siphoning off his own frustration into his cousin, the only outlet he had.**  
**They turned right down the narrow alleyway where Harry had first seen Sirius and which formed a short cut between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no street lamps. Their footsteps were muffled between garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other.**

**Think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?' Dudley said after a few seconds.**

**'What thing?'**  
**That - that thing you are hiding.'**  
**Harry grinned again.**

**'Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I s'pose, if you were, you wouldn't be able to walk and talk at the same time.'**  
**Harry pulled out his wand. He saw Dudley look sideways at it.**

**'You're not allowed,' Dudley said at once. 'I know you're not. You'd get expelled from that freak school you go to.'**

**"It's not a freak school."**

The students jumped at the chance to defend their school.

**'How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?'**

**They haven't,' said Dudley, though he didn't sound completely convinced.**  
**Harry laughed softly.**

**'You haven't got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?' Dudley snarled.**

**'Whereas you just need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten year old. You know that boxing title you keep banging on about? How old was your opponent? Seven? Eight?'**

**'He was sixteen, for your information,' snarled Dudley, 'and he was out cold for twenty minutes after I'd finished with him and he was twice as heavy as you. You just wait till I tell Dad you had that thing out -**

**'Running to Daddy now, are you? Is his ickle boxing champ frightened of nasty Harry's wand?'**

**'Not this brave at night, are you?' sneered Dudley.**

**'This is night, Diddykins. That's what we call it when it goes all dark like this.'**

**'I mean when you're in bed!' Dudley snarled.**

**He had stopped walking. Harry stopped too, staring at his cousin.**  
**From the little he could see of Dudley's large face, he was wearing a strangely triumphant look.**  
**'What d'you mean, I'm not brave when I'm in bed?' said Harry, Completely nonplussed. 'What am I supposed to be frightened of, pillows or something?'**

A few girls giggled over at the Ravenclaw table. Harry blushed. Ginny was secretly quite jealous, though nobody noticed.

**'I heard you last night,' said Dudley breathlessly. Talking in your sleep. Moaning.'**  
**'What d'you mean?' Harry said again, but there was a cold, plunging sensation in his stomach. He had revisited the graveyard last night in his dreams.**  
**Dudley gave a harsh bark of laughter, then adopted a high-pitched whimpering voice.**

**"Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!" Who's Cedric - your boyfriend?'**

Everyone bowed their heads in respect for the hufflepuff.

**'I - you're lying,' said Harry automatically. But his mouth had gone dry. He knew Dudley wasn't lying - how else would he know about Cedric?**  
**"Dad! Help me, Dad! He's going to kill me, Dad! Boo hoo!'' '**

**'Shut up,' said Harry quietly. 'Shut up, Dudley, I'm warning you!'**

**'Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to - " Don't you point that thing at me!'**  
**Dudley backed into the alley wall. Harry was pointing the wand directly at Dudley's heart. Harry could feel fourteen years' hatred of Dudley pounding in his veins - what wouldn't he give to strike now, to jinx Dudley so thoroughly he'd have to crawl home like an insect, struck dumb, sprouting feelers . . .**

**'Don't ever talk about that again,' Harry snarled. 'D'you understand me?'**

**'Point that thing somewhere else!'**

**'I said, do you understand me?'**

**'Point it somewhere else!'**

**'DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?'**

**'GET THAT THING AWAY FROM - '**

**Dudley gave an odd. shuddering gasp, as though he had been doused in icy water.**  
**Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch black and light less - the stars, the moon, the misty street lamps at either end of the alley had vanished. The distant rumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. The balmy evening was suddenly piercingly, bitingly cold. They were surrounded by total, impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, icy mantle over the entire alleyway, blinding them.**  
**For a split second Harry thought he had done magic without meaning to, despite the fact that he'd been resisting as hard as he could - then his reason caught up with his senses - he didn't have the power to turn off the stars. He turned his head this way and that, trying to see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless veil.**  
**Dudley's terrified voice broke in Harry's ear.**

A few first years looked slightly frightened.

**'W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it!'**

**'I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!'**

**'I c-can't see! I've g-gone blind! I - '**

**'I said shut up!'**  
**Harry stood stock still, turning his sightless eyes left and right. The cold was so intense he was shivering all over; goose bumps had erupted up his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up - he opened his eyes to their fullest extent, staring blankly around, unseeing.**  
**It was impossible . . . they couldn't be here . . . not in Little Whinging . . . he strained his ears . . . he would hear them before he saw them . . .**

**'I'll t-tell Dad!' Dudley whimpered. 'W-where are you? What are you d-do-?'**

**'Will you shut up?' Harry hissed, 'I'm trying to lis- '**  
**But he fell silent. He had heard just the thing he had been dreading.**  
**There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, hoarse, rattling breaths. Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air.**

**'C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!'**

**'Dudley, shut - '**  
**WHAM.**  
**A fist made contact with the side of Harry's head, lifting him off his feet. Small white lights popped in front of his eyes. For the second time in an hour Harry felt as though his head had been cleaved in two; next moment, he had landed hard on the ground and his wand had flown out of his hand.**

**'You moron, Dudley!' Harry yelled, his eyes watering with pain as he scrambled to his hands and knees, feeling around frantically n the blackness. He heard Dudley blundering away, hitting the alley fence, stumbling.**

**'DUDLEY, COME BACK! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!'**  
**There was a horrible squealing yell and Dudley's footsteps topped. At the same moment, Harry felt a creeping chill behind him that could mean only one thing. There was more than one.**

**'DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Wand!' Harry muttered frantically, his hands flying over the ground like spiders. 'Where's - wand - come on - lumos!'**  
**He said the spell automatically, desperate for light to help him n his search - and to his disbelieving relief, light flared inches from his right hand - the wand tip had ignited. Harry snatched it up, scrambled to his feet and turned around.**  
**His stomach turned over.**

**A towering, hooded figure was gliding smoothly towards him, hovering over the ground, no feet or face visible beneath its robes, sucking on the night as it came.**  
**Stumbling backwards, Harry raised his wand.**

Now everyone was slightly scared. Most for Harry's safety but quite a few Slytherins and Umbridge certainly weren't.

**'Expecto patronum!'**  
**A silvery wisp of vapour shot from the tip of the wand and the Dementor slowed, but the spell hadn't worked properly; tripping over his own feet, Harry retreated further as the Dementor bore down upon him, panic fogging his brain - concentrate -**  
**A pair of grey, slimy, scabbed hands slid from inside the Dementor's robes, reaching for him. A rushing noise filled Harry's ears.**

"You can cast a patronus?" Astoria Greengrass asked.

Harry just nodded as Dumbledore continued.

**'Expecto patronum!'**  
**His voice sounded dim and distant. Another wisp of silver smoke, feebler than the last, drifted from the wand - he couldn't do it any more, he couldn't work the spell.**

**There was laughter inside his own head, shrill, high-pitched laughter . . . he could smell the Dementor's putrid, death-cold breath filling his own lungs, drowning him - think . . . something happy . . .**

The older students, who had been around in Harry's third year, started shivering, remembering the Dementors.

**But there was no happiness in him . . . the Dementor's icy fingers were closing on his throat - the high-patched laughter was growing louder and louder, and a voice spoke inside his head: 'Bow to death, Harry . . . it might even be painless . . . I would not know . . . I have never died He was never going to see Ron and Hermione again -**

**And their faces burst clearly into his mind as he fought for breath.**

**'EXPECTO PATRONUM!'**  
**An enormous silver stag erupted from the tip of Harry's wand; it's antlers caught the Dementor in the place where the heart should have been; it was thrown backwards, weightless as darkness, and as the stag charged, the Dementor swooped away, bat-like and defeated.**

"You can cast a _full_ one?" Daphne Greengrass, Astoria's sister, questioned looking slightly immpressed.

**'THIS WAY!' Harry shouted at the stag. Wheeling around, he sprinted down the alleyway, holding the lit wand aloft.**

**'DUDLEY? DUDLEY!'**  
**He had run barely a dozen steps when he reached them: Dudley was curled up on the ground, his arms clamped over his face. A second Dementor was crouching low over him, gripping his wrists in its slimy hands, prising them slowly, almost lovingly apart, lowering its hooded head towards Dudley's face as though about to kiss him.**

**'GET IT!' Harry bellowed, and with a rushing, roaring sound, the silver stag he had conjured came galloping past him. The Dementor's eyeless face was barely an inch from Dudley's when the silver antlers caught it; the thing was thrown up into the air and, like its fellow, it soared away and was absorbed into the darkness; the stag cantered to the end of the alleyway and dissolved into silver mist.**

**Moon, stars and streetlamps burst back into life. A warm breeze swept the alleyway. Trees rustled in neighbouring gardens and the mundane rumble of cars in Magnolia Crescent filled the air again.**

**Harry stood quite still, all his senses vibrating, taking in the abrupt return to normality. After a moment, he became aware that his T-shirt was sticking to him; he was drenched in sweat.**

**He could not believe what had just happened. Dementors here, in Little Whinging.**

**Dudley lay curled up on the ground, whimpering and shaking.**  
**Harry bent down to see whether he was in a fit state to stand up, but then he heard loud, running footsteps behind him. Instinctively raising his wand again, he span on his heel to face the newcomer.**

**Mrs Figg, their batty old neighbour, came panting into sight. Her grizzled grey hair was escaping from its hairnet, a clanking String shopping bag was swinging from her wrist and her feet were halfway out of her tartan carpet slippers. Harry made to stow his wand hurriedly out of sight, but -**  
**'Don't put it away, idiot boy!' she shrieked. 'What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher!'**

Gred and Forge were looking excited. One of their idol's had been mentioned.

Dumbledore stood up and addressed the whole hall,

"Does anyone want to read the next chapter?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.

* * *

So that was Dudley Demented, took me ages to go through it all.

Hope you enjoyed it,

I'll be updating soon :-)


	7. A peck of owls

Chapter 7

* * *

A Peck of Owls

"What?" Harry said confused at the title of the the chapter.

**'What?' said Harry blankly.**

"Don't say anything." Harry said to the twins who had opened their mouths to tease him.

**'He left!' said Mrs Figg, wringing her hands. 'Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's just lucky I put Mr Tibbles on the case! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!'**

Everyone was confused.

"Why would Mundungus Fletcher be following Harry in the first place.

Only Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys and the order knew.

**'But - ' The revelation that his batty old cat-obsessed neighbour knew what Dementors were was almost as big a shock to Harry as meeting two of them down the alleyway. 'You're - you're a witch?'**

**'I'm a Squib, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you fight off Dementors? He left you completely without cover when I'd warned him - '**

Fudge ans Amelia bones looked uncomfortable, how were they going to keep this accident quiet. They were both remembering Potters trial and his claim about Dementors.

This Mundungus has been following me? Hang on - it was him! He Disapparated from the front of my house!'

**'Yes, yes, yes, but luckily I'd stationed Mr Tibbles under a car just in case, and Mr Tibbles came and warned me, but by the time I got to your house you'd gone - and now - oh, what's Dumbledore going to say? You!' she shrieked at Dudley, still supine on the alleyfloor. 'Get your fat bottom off the ground, quick!'**

The Weasley twins snorted.

**'You know Dumbledore?' said Harry, staring at her.**

**'Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore? But come on - I'll be no help if they come back, I've never so much as Transfigured a teabag.'**

**She stooped down, seized one of Dudley's massive arms in her wizened hands and tugged.**

"That won't work", Harry muttered to the gryfindors

**'Get up, you useless lump, get up!'**

"I'm beginning to like her more and more." Fred whispered to Lee and George, who nodded in agreement.

**But Dudley either could not or would not move. He remained on the ground, trembling and ashen-faced, his mouth shut very tight.**

**'I'll do it.' Harry took hold of Dudley's arm and heaved. With an enormous effort he managed to hoist him to his feet. Dudley seemed to be on the point of fainting. His small eyes were rolling in their sockets and sweat was beading his face; the moment Harry let go of him he swayed dangerously.**

**'Hurry up!' said Mrs Figg hysterically.**

**Harry pulled one of Dudley's massive arms around his own shoulders and dragged him towards the road, sagging slightly under the weight. Mrs Figg tottered along in front of them, peering anxiously around the corner.**

**'Keep your wand out,' she told Harry, as they entered Wisteria Walk. 'Never mind the Statute of Secrecy now, there's going to be hell to pay anyway, we might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg. Talk about the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery . . . this was exactly what Dumbledore was afraid of - What's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just Mr Prentice . . . don't put your wand away, boy, don't I keep telling you I'm no use?'**

**It was not easy to hold a wand steady and haul Dudley along at the same time. Harry gave his cousin an impatient dig in the ribs, but Dudley seemed to have lost all desire for independent movement. He was slumped on Harry's shoulder, his large feet dragging along the ground.**

**'Why didn't you tell me you're a Squib, Mrs Figg?' asked Harry, panting with the effort to keep walking. 'All those times I came round your house - why didn't you say anything?'**

"Well I was quite surprised, I went to her house every year for Dudleys birthdays." Harry said, in his defense.

**'Dumbledore's orders. I was to keep an eye on you but not say anything, you were too young. I'm sorry I gave you such a miserable time, Harry, but the Dursleys would never have let you come if they'd thought you enjoyed it. It wasn't easy, you know . . . but oh my word,' she said tragically, wringing her hands once more, 'when Dumbledore hears about this - how could Mundungus have left, he was supposed to be on duty until midnight - where is he? How am I going to tell Dumbledore what's happened? I can't Apparate.'**

**'I've got an owl, you can borrow her.' Harry groaned, wondering whether his spine was going to snap under Dudley's weight.**

"I't nearly did."

Everyone who heard him snorted.

**'Harry, you don't understand! Dumbledore will need to act as quickly as possible, the Ministry have their own ways of detecting underage magic, they'll know already, you mark my words.'**

**'But I was getting rid of Dementors, I had to use magic - they're going to be more worried about what Dementors were doing floating around Wisteria Walk, surely?'**

Harry narrowed his eyes. The ministry had turned a blind eye to the dementors, making out that he was a lier.

Everyone who belived Harry and the future kids turned to glare at Umbridge and Fudge.

**'Oh, my dear, I wish it were so, but I'm afraid - MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!'**

**There was a loud crack and a strong smell of drink mingled with stale tobacco filled the air as a squat, unshaven man in a tattered overcoat materialized right in front of them. He had short, bandy legs, long straggly ginger hair and bloodshot, baggy eyes that gave him the doleful look of a basset hound. He was also clutching a silvery bundle that Harry recognised at once as an Invisibility Cloak.**

**' 'S'up, Figgy?' he said,**

"Figgy?" George asked knowone in particular, trying to keep a straight face.

**staring from Mrs Figg to Harry and Dudley. 'What 'appened to staying undercover?'**

**'I'll give you undercover!' cried Mrs Figg. 'Dementors, you useless, skiving sneak thief!'**

**'Dementors?' repeated Mundungus, aghast. 'Dementors, 'ere?'**

**'Yes, here, you worthless pile of bat droppings, here!' shrieked Mrs Figg. 'Dementors attacking the boy on your watch!'**

**'Blimey,' said Mundungus weakly, looking from Mrs Figg to Harry, and back again. 'Blimey, I - '**

**'And you off buying stolen cauldrons! Didn't I tell you not to go? Didn't I?'**

**Fudge looked interested but kept quiet, not wanting any more hate directed at him.**

**'I - well, I -' Mundungus looked deeply uncomfortable. 'It - it was a very good business opportunity see - '**

**Mrs Figg raised the arm from which her string bag dangled and whacked Mundungus around the lace and neck with it;**

Rose laughed. "That's the sort of thing they have in cartoons." She explained.

**judging by the clanking noise it made it was full of cat food.**

**'Ouch - gerroff - gerroff, you mad old bat! Someone's gotta tell Dumbledore!'**

**'Yes - they - have!' yelled Mrs Figg, swinging the bag of cat food at every bit of Mundungus she could reach. 'And - it - had - better - be - you - and - you - can - tell - him - why - you - weren't - there - to - help!'**

**'Keep your 'airnet on!' said Mundungus, his arms over his head, cowering. 'I'm going, I'm going!'**

**And with another loud crack, he vanished.**

**'I hope Dumbledore murders him!' said Mrs Figg furiously. 'Now come on, Harry, what are you waiting for?'**

**Harry decided not to waste his remaining breath on pointing out that he could barely walk under Dudley's bulk. He gave the semi-conscious Dudley a heave and staggered onwards.**

**'I'll take you to the door,' said Mrs Figg, as they turned into Privet Drive. 'Just in case there are more of them around . . . oh my word, what a catastrophe . . . and you had to fight them off yourself . . . and Dumbledore said we were to keep you from doing magic at all costs . . . well, it's no good crying over spilt potion, I suppose . . . but the cat's among the pixies now.'**

**'So,' Harry panted, 'Dumbledore's . . . been having . . . me followed?'**

**'Of course he has,' said Mrs Figg impatiently. 'Did you expect him to let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? Good Lord, boy, they told me you were intelligent . . . right . . . get inside and stay there,' she said, as they reached number four. 'I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough.'**

**'What are you going to do?' asked Harry quickly.**

**'I'm going straight home,' said Mrs Figg, staring around the dark street and shuddering. 'I'll need to wait for more instructions. Just stay in the house. Goodnight.'**

**'Hang on, don't go yet! I want to know - '**

**But Mrs Figg had already set off at a trot, carpet slippers flopping, string bag clanking.**

**'Wait!' Harry shouted after her. He had a million questions to ask anyone who was in contact with Dumbledore; but within seconds Mrs Figg was swallowed by the darkness. Scowling, Harry readjusted Dudley on his shoulder and made his slow, painful way up number four's garden path.**

**The hall light was on. Harry stuck his wand back inside the waistband of his jeans, rang the bell and watched Aunt Petunia's outline grow larger and larger, oddly distorted by the rippling glass in the front door.**

**'Diddy! About time too, I was getting quite - quite - Diddy, what's the matter?'**

**"Diddy... Interesting" James said, with a thoughtful face. I've not heard that one before**

**Harry looked sideways at Dudley and ducked out from under his arm just in time. Dudley swayed on the spot for a moment, his face pale green . . . then he opened his mouth and vomited all over the doormat.**

Lavender and her friends looked slightly sick themselves now.

**'DIDDY! Diddy, what's the matter with you? Vernon? VERNON!'**

**Harry's uncle came galumphing out of the living room, walrus moustache blowing hither and thither as it always did when he was agitated. He hurried forwards to help Aunt Petunia negotiate a weak-kneed Dudley over the threshold while avoiding stepping in the pool of sick.**

**'He's ill, Vernon!'**

**'What is it, son? What's happened Did Mrs Polkiss give you something foreign for tea?'**

**'Why are you all covered in dirt, darling? Have you been lying on the ground?'**

**'Hang on - you haven't been mugged, have you, son?'**

**Aunt Petunia screamed.**

"Dramatic much," muttered a small Hufflepuff.

**'Phone the police, Vernon! Phone the police! Diddy, darling, speak to Mummy! What did they do to you?'**

**In all the kerfuffle nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly. He managed to slip inside just before Uncle Vernon slammed the door and, while the Dursleys made their noisy progress down the hall towards the kitchen, Harry moved carefully and quietly towards the stairs.**

**'Who did it, son? Give us names. We'll get them, don't worry.'**

**'Shh! He's trying to say something, Vernon! What is it, Diddy? Tell Mummy!'**

**Harry's foot was on the bottom-most stair when Dudley found his voice.**

**'Him.'**

Sirius put an arm around Harry protectively.

**Harry froze, foot on the stair, face screwed up, braced for the explosion.**

**'BOY! COME HERE!'**

**With a feeling of mingled dread and anger, Harry removed his foot slowly from the stair and turned to follow the Dursleys.**

**The scrupulously clean kitchen had an oddly unreal glitter after the darkness outside. Aunt Petunia was ushering Dudley into a chair; he was still very green and clammy-looking. Uncle Vernon was standing in front of the draining board, glaring at Harry through tiny, narrowed eyes.**

**'What have you done to my son?' he said in a menacing growl.**

"He didn't do anything!" Ginny snapped at the book, scaring a third year that was sitting next to her.

**'Nothing,' said Harry, knowing perfectly well that Uncle Vernon wouldn't believe him.**

**'What did he do to you. Diddy?' Aunt Petunia said in a quavering voice, now sponging sick from the front of Dudley's leather jacket. 'Was it - was it you-know-what, darling? Did he use - his thing?'**

**Slowly, tremulously, Dudley nodded.**

**'I didn't!' Harry said sharply, as Aunt Petunia let out a wail and Uncle Vernon raised his fists. 'I didn't do anything to him, it wasn't me, it was - '**

**But at that precise moment a screech owl swooped in through the kitchen window. Narrowly missing the top of Uncle Vernon's head, it soared across the kitchen, dropped the large parchment envelope it was carrying in its beak at Harry's feet, turned gracefully, the tips of its wings just brushing the top of the fridge, then zoomed outside again and off across the garden.**

**'OWLS!' bellowed Uncle Vernon, the well-worn vein in his temple pulsing angrily as he slammed the kitchen window shut.**

**'OWLS AGAIN! I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE OWLS IN MY HOUSE!'**

**But Harry was already ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter inside, his heart pounding somewhere in the region of his Adam's apple.**

**Dear Mr Potter,**

**We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle.**

**The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.**

**As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of August.**

**Hoping you are well,**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Mafalda Hopkirk**

**Improper Use of Magic Office**

**Ministry of Magic**

The first year muggle-borns that hadn't known about this gasped.

**Harry read the letter through twice. He was only vaguely aware of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia talking. Inside his head, all was icy and numb. One fact had penetrated his consciousness like a paralysing dart. He was expelled from Hogwarts. It was all over. He was never going back.**

"How long did that last?"

**He looked up at the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon was purple-faced, shouting, his fists still raised;**

Sirius tightened his grip around Harry's shoulder.

**Aunt Petunia had her arms around Dudley who was retching again.**

"Ewwwwww!"

**Harry's temporarily stupefied brain seemed to reawaken. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand. There was only one thing for it. He would have to run - now. Where he was going to go, Harry didn't know but he was certain of one thing: at Hogwarts or outside it, he needed his wand. In an almost dreamlike state, he pulled his wand out and turned to leave the kitchen.**

**'Where d'you think you're going?' yelled Uncle Venon. When Harry didn't reply, he pounded across the kitchen to block the doorway into the hall. 'I haven't finished with you, boy!'**

**'Get out of the way,' said Harry quietly.**

**'You're going to stay here and explain how my son - '**

**'If you don't get out of the way I'm going to jinx you,' said Harry, raising the wand.**

**Mrs. Weasley looked at Harry disapprovingly.**

**'You can't pull that one on me!' snarled Uncle Vernon. 'I know**

**'You're not allowed to use it outside that madhouse you call a school!'**

**The madhouse has chucked me out,' said Harry. 'So I can do whatever I like. You've got three seconds. One - two - '**

Rose looked worried.

**A resounding CRACK filled the kitchen. Aunt Petunia screamed, Uncle Vernon yelled and ducked, but for the third time that night Harry was searching for the source of a disturbance he had not made. He spotted it at once: a dazed and ruffled-looking barn owl was sitting outside on the kitchen sill, having just collided with the closed window.**

**Ignoring Uncle Vernon's anguished yell of 'OWLS!' Harry crossed the room at a run and wrenched the window open. The owl stuck out its leg, to which a small roll of parchment was tied, shook its feathers, and took off the moment Harry had taken the letter. Hands shaking, Harry unfurled the second message, which was written very hastily and blotchily in black ink.**

**Harry -**

**Dumbledore's just arrived at the Ministry and he's trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE. DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND.**

**Arthur Weasley**

Umbridge looked furiously at Mr. Weasley, who made a point of ignoring her.

**Dumbledore was trying to sort it all out . . . what did that mean? how much power did Dumbledore have to override the Ministry of Magic? Was there a chance that he might be allowed back to Hogwarts, then? A small shoot of hope burgeoned in Harry's chest, almost immediately strangled by panic - how was he supposed to refuse to surrender his wand without doing magic? He'd have to duel with the Ministry representatives, and if he did that, he'd be lucky to escape Azkaban, let alone expulsion.**

His mind was racing . . . he could run for it and risk being captured by the Ministry, or stay put and wait for them to find him here. He was much more tempted by the former course, but he mew Mr Weasley had his best interests at heart . . . and after all, Dumbledore had sorted out much worse than this before.

**'Right,' Harry said, 'I've changed my mind, I'm staying.'**

**He flung himself down at the kitchen table and faced Dudley and Aunt Petunia. The Dursleys appeared taken aback at his abrupt change of mind. Aunt Petunia glanced despairingly at Uncle Vernon. The vein in his purple temple was throbbing worse than ever.**

**'Who are all these ruddy owls from?' he growled.**

**'The first one was from the Ministry of Magic, expelling me,' said Harry calmly. He was straining his ears to catch any noises outside, in case the Ministry representatives were approaching, and it was easier and quieter to answer Uncle Vernon's questions than to have him start raging and bellowing. The second one was from my friend Ron's dad, who works at the Ministry.'**

**'Ministry of Magic?' bellowed Uncle Vernon. 'People like you in government? Oh, this explains everything, everything, no wonder the country's going to the dogs.'**

The ministry workers looked insulted.

**When Harry did not respond, Uncle Vernon glared at him, then spat out, 'And why have you been expelled?'**

**'Because I did magic.'**

**'AHA!' roared Uncle Vernon, slamming his fist down on top of the fridge, which sprang open; several of Dudley's low-fat snacks toppled out and burst on the floor. 'So you admit it! What did you do to Dudley?'**

**'Nothing,' said Harry, slightly less calmly. That wasn't me - '**

**'Was,' muttered Dudley unexpectedly, and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia instantly made flapping gestures at Harry to quieten him while they both bent low over Dudley.**

**'Go on, son,' said Uncle Vernon, 'what did he do?'**

**Tell us, darling,' whispered Aunt Petunia.**

**'Pointed his wand at me,' Dudley mumbled.**

Now nearly everyone was shooting glares at the book.

**'Yeah, I did, but I didn't use - ' Harry began angrily, but - '**

**'SHUT UP!' roared Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia in unison.**

**'Go on, son,' repeated Uncle Vernon, moustache blowing about furiously.**

**'All went dark,' Dudley said hoarsely, shuddering 'Everything dark. And then I h-heard . . . things. Inside m-my head.'**

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia exchanged looks of utter horror. If their least favourite thing in the world was magic - closely followed by neighbours who cheated more than they did on the hosepipe ban - people who heard voices were definitely in the bottom ten. They obviously thought Dudley was losing his mind.**

**'What sort of things did you hear, Popkin?' breathed Aunt Petunia, very white-faced and with tears in her eyes.**

**But Dudley seemed incapable of saying. He shuddered again and shook his large blond head, and despite the sense of numb dread that had settled on Harry since the arrival of the first owl, he felt a certain curiosity. Dementors caused a person to relive the worst moments of their life. What would spoiled, pampered, bullying Dudley have been forced to hear?**

**'How come you fell over, son?' said Uncle Vernon, in an unnaturally quiet voice, the kind of voice he might adopt at the Bedside of a very ill person.**

**'T-tripped,' said Dudley shakily. 'And then - '**

**He gestured at his massive chest. Harry understood. Dudley was remembering the clammy cold that filled the lungs as hope and happiness were sucked out of you.**

**'Horrible,' croaked Dudley. 'Cold. Really cold.'**

**'OK,' said Uncle Vernon, in a voice of forced calm, while Aunt Petunia laid an anxious hand on Dudley's forehead to feel his temperature. 'What happened then, Dudders?'**

**'Felt . . . felt . . . felt . . . as if . . . as if . . .'**

**'As if you'd never be happy again,' Harry supplied dully.**

**'Yes,' Dudley whispered, still trembling.**

**'So!' said Uncle Vernon, voice restored to full and considerable volume as he straightened up. 'You put some crackpot spell on my on so he'd hear voices and believe he was - was doomed to misery, or something, did you?'**

"Probably should have." someone murmured.

**'How many times do I have to tell you?' said Harry, temper and voice both rising. 'It wasn't me! It was a couple of Dementors!'**

**'A couple of - what's this codswallop?'**

**'De - men - tors,' said Harry slowly and clearly. Two of them.'**

**'And what the ruddy hell are Dementors?'**

**'They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban,' said Aunt Petunia.**

"How did she know that?"

The person who answered shocked everyone.

"I told her and Lily Evans about them when I met them at a park when I was ten." Snape said, without a trace of emotion on his face.

**Two seconds of ringing silence followed these words before Aunt Petunia clapped her hand over her mouth as though she had let slip a disgusting swear word. Uncle Vernon was goggling at her. Harry's brain reeled. Mrs Figg was one thing - but Aunt Petunia?**

**'How d'you know that?' he asked her, astonished.**

**Aunt Petunia looked quite appalled with herself. She glanced at Uncle Vernon in fearful apology,**

"She shouldn't need to apologize. She didn't do anything wrong." Scorpius said quietly, feeling Ron Weasleys glare on the back of his head.

**then lowered her hand slightly to reveal her horsy teeth.**

**'I heard - that awful boy - telling her about them - years ago,' she said jerkily.**

"That would be me." Snape said dryly.

**'If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?' said Harry loudly but Aunt Petunia ignored him. She seemed horribly flustered.**

**Harry was stunned. Except for one outburst years ago, in the course of which Aunt Petunia had screamed that Harry's mother had been a freak, he had never heard her mention her sister. He was astounded that she had remembered this scrap of information about the magical world for so long, when she usually put all her energies, into pretending it didn't exist.**

**Uncle Vernon opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it once more, shut it, then, apparently struggling to remember how to talk, opened it for a third time and croaked, 'So - so - they - er - they - er - they actually exist, do they - er - Dementy-whatsits?'**

**Aunt Petunia nodded.**

"At least she didn't say you were making it up!" Sirius told Harry, trying to cheer him up.

**Uncle Vernon looked from Aunt Petunia to Dudley to Harry as if hoping somebody was going to shout 'April Fool!' When nobody did, he opened his mouth yet again, but was spared the struggle to find more words by the arrival of the third owl of the evening. It zoomed through the still-open window like a feathery cannon-ball and landed with a clatter on the kitchen table, causing all three of the Dursleys to jump with fright. Harry tore a second official-looking envelope from the owl's beak and ripped it open as the owl swooped back out into the night.**

**'Enough - effing - owls,' muttered Uncle Vernon distractedly, stomping over to the window and slamming it shut again.**

**Dear Mr Potter,**

**Further to our letter of approximately twenty-two minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary hearing on the twelfth of August, at which time an official decision will be taken.**

**Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided at that time. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from- school pending further enquiries.**

**With best wishes,**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Mafalda Hopkirk**

**Improper Use of Magic Office**

**Ministry of Magic**

"At least you weren't expelled," Rose sighed in relief.

**Harry read this letter through three times in quick succession. The miserable knot in his chest loosened slightly with the relief of knowing he was not yet definitely expelled, though his fears were by no means banished. Everything seemed to hang on this hearing on the twelfth of August.**

**'Well?' said Uncle Vernon, recalling Harry to his surroundings. 'What now? Have they sentenced you to anything? Do your lot have the death penalty?' he added as a hopeful afterthought.**

**'I've got to go to a hearing,' said Harry.**

**'And they'll sentence you there?'**

**'I suppose so.'**

**'I won't give up hope, then,' said Uncle Vernon nastily.**

"I'm glad we never met him." Albus whispered to Lily, who in response, nodded thoughtfully.

**'Well, if that's all,' said Harry, getting to his feet. He was desperate to be alone, to think, perhaps to send a letter to Ron, Hermione or Sirius.**

**'NO, IT RUDDY WELL IS NOT ALL!' bellowed Uncle Vernon. 'SIT BACK DOWN!'**

**'What now?' said Harry impatiently.**

**'DUDLEY!' roared Uncle Vernon. 'I want to know exactly what happened to my son!'**

**'FINE!' yelled Harry, and in his temper, red and gold sparks shot out of the end of his wand, still clutched in his hand. All three Dursleys flinched, looking terrified.**

**'Dudley and I were in the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk,' said Harry, speaking fast, fighting to control his temper. 'Dudley thought he'd be smart with me, I pulled out my wand but didn't use it. Then two Dementors turned up - '**

**'But what ARE Dementoids?' asked Uncle Vernon furiously. 'What do they DO?'**

**'I told you - they suck all the happiness out of you,' said Harry, 'and if they get the chance, they kiss you - '**

**'Kiss you?' said Uncle Vernon, his eyes popping slightly. 'Kiss you?'**

**'It's what they call it when they suck the soul out of your mouth.'**

A few of the younger students shuddered.

**Aunt Petunia uttered a soft scream.**

**'His soul? They didn't take - he's still got his - '**

**She seized Dudley by the shoulders and shook him, as though testing to see whether she could hear his soul rattling around inside hint.**

**'Of course they didn't get his soul, you'd know if they had,' said Harry, exasperated.**

**'Fought 'em off, did you, son?' said Uncle Vernon loudly, with the appearance of a man struggling to bring the conversation back on to a plane he understood. 'Gave 'em the old one-two, did you?'**

**'You can't give a Dementor the old one-two,' said Harry through clenched teeth.**

"What's a one-two?" Malfoy asked, confused.

He was surprised and happy when Astoria explained it without glaring or shouting.

Everyone else was surprised that 1. Malfoy took an interest in it, and 2. A Slytherin pure-blood answered.

**'Why's he all right, then?' blustered Uncle Vernon. 'Why isn't e all empty, then?'**

**'Because I used the Patronus - '**

**WHOOSH. With a clattering, a whirring of wings and a soft fall of dust, a fourth owl came shooting out of the kitchen fireplace.**

**'FOR GOD'S SAKE!' roared Uncle Vernon, pulling great clumps of hair out of his moustache, something he hadn't been driven to do in a long time. 'I WILL NOT HAVE OWLS HERE, I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS, I TELL YOU!'**

**But Harry was already pulling a roll of parchment from the owl's leg. He was so convinced that this letter had to be from Dumbledore, explaining everything - the Dementors, Mrs Figg, what the Ministry was up to, how he, Dumbledore, intended to sort everything out - that for the first time in his life he was disappointed to see Sirius's handwriting. Ignoring Uncle Vernons ongoing rant about owls, and narrowing his eyes against a second cloud of dust as the most recent owl took off back up the chimney, Harry read Sirius's message.**

**Arthur has just told us what's happened. Don't leave the house again, whatever you do.**

**Harry found this such an inadequate response to everything that had happened tonight that he turned the piece of parchment over, looking for the rest of the letter, but there was nothing else.**

**And now his temper was rising again.**

"That would be Lily's temper." Remus said, grinning, remembering all the times Sirius and James had gotten on the wrong side of her.

**Wasn't anybody going to say 'well done' for fighting off two Dementors single-handed? Both Mr Weasley and Sirius were acting as though he'd misbehaved, and were saving their tellings-off until they could ascertain how much damage had been done.**

"Sorry Prongslet. We didn't want you to feel like you were being told off. It was amazing. We just wanted you to be safe."

Harry nodded, accepting his God-fathers apology.

**'. . . a peck, I mean, pack of owls shooting in and out of my house. I won't have it, boy, I won't - '**

**'I can't stop the owls coming,' Harry snapped, crushing Sirius's letter in his fist.**

**'I want the truth about what happened tonight!' barked Uncle Vernon. 'If it was Demenders who hurt Dudley, how come you've been expelled? You did you-know-what, you've admitted, it!'**

**Harry took a deep, steadying breath. His head was beginning to ache again. He wanted more than anything to get out of the kitchen, and away from the Dursleys.**

**'I did the Patronus Charm to get rid of the Dementors,' he said, forcing himself to remain calm. 'It's the only thing that works against them.'**

**'But what were Dementoids doing in Little Whinging?' said Uncle Vernon in an outraged tone.**

**'Couldn't tell you,' said Harry wearily. 'No idea.'**

Harry's gaze fell upon Fudge, who looked like he was having second thoughts about being the Minister.

'I knew I should have become a healer!' He thought to himself.

**His head was pounding in the glare of the strip-lighting now. His anger was ebbing away. He felt drained, exhausted. The Dursleys were all staring at him.**

**'It's you,' said Uncle Vernon forcefully. 'It's got something to do with you, boy, I know it. Why else would they turn up here? Why else would they be down that alleyway? You've got to be the only - the only - ' Evidently, he couldn't bring himself to say the word 'wizard'. The only you-know-what for miles.'**

**'I don't know why they were here.'**

Now the whole DA were staring between Fudge and Umbridge.

**But at Uncle Vernon's words, Harry's exhausted brain had ground back into action. Why had the Dementors come to Little Whinging? How could it be coincidence that they had arrived in the alleyway where Harry was? Had they been sent? Had the Ministry of Magic lost control of the Dementors? Had they deserted Azkaban and joined Voldemort, as Dumbledore had predicted they would?**

**'These Demembers guard some weirdo prison?' asked Uncle Vernon, lumbering along in the wake of Harry's train of thought.**

**'Yes,' said Harry.**

**If only his head would stop hurting, if only he could just leave the kitchen and get to his dark bedroom and think . . .**

**'Oho! They were coming to arrest you!' said Uncle Vernon, with the triumphant air of a man reaching an unassailable conclusion. That's it, isn't it, boy? You're on the run from the law!'**

The weasley twins snorted.

**'Of course I'm not,' said Harry, shaking his head as though to scare off a fly, his mind racing now.**

**Then why - ?'**

**'He must have sent them,' said Harry quietly, more to himself than to Uncle Vernon.**

**'What's that? Who must have sent them?'**

**'Lord Voldemort,' said Harry.**

Most people flinched. The DA just rolled their eyes.

**He registered dimly how strange it was that the Dursleys, who flinched, winced and squawked if they heard words like 'wizard', 'magic' or 'wand', could hear the name of the most evil wizard of all time without the slightest tremor.**

**'Lord - hang on,' said Uncle Vernon, his face screwed up, a look of dawning comprehension coming into his piggy eyes. 'I've heard that name . . . that was the one who - '**

**'Murdered my parents, yes,' Harry said dully.**

**'But he's gone,' said Uncle Vernon impatiently, without the slightest sign that the murder of Harry's parents might be a painful topic. That giant bloke said so. He's gone.'**

**'He's back,' said Harry heavily.**

Umbridge didn't even bother trying to argue this time.

**It felt very strange to be standing here in Aunt Petunia's surgically clean kitchen, beside the top'-of-the-range fridge and the wide-screen television, talking calmly of Lord Voldemort to Uncle Vernon. The arrival of the Dementors in Little Whinging seemed to have breached the great, invisible wall that divided the relentlessly non-magical world of Privet Drive and the world beyond. Harry's two lives had somehow become fused and everything had been turned upside-down; the Dursleys were asking for details about the magical world, and Mrs Figg knew Albus Dumbledore; Dementors were soaring around Little Whinging, and he might never return to Hogwarts. Harry's head throbbed more painfully.**

**'Back?' whispered Aunt Petunia.**

**She was looking at Harry as she had never looked at him before. And all of a sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister. He could not have said why this hit him so very powerfully at this moment. All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean. Aunt Petunia had never in her life looked at him like that before. Her large, pale eyes (so unlike her sisters) were not narrowed in dislike or anger, they were wide and fearful. The furious pretence that Aunt Petunia had maintained all Harry's life - that there was no magic and no world other than the world she inhabited with Uncle Vernon - seemed to have fallen away.**

'Vernon was always a bad influence on her' Snape thought bitterly.

**'Yes,' Harry said, talking directly to Aunt Petunia now. ;He came back a month ago. I saw him.'**

**Her hands found Dudley's massive leather-clad shoulders and clutched them.**

**'Hang on,' said Uncle Vernon, looking from his wife to Harry and back again, apparently dazed and confused by the unprecedented understanding that seemed to have sprung up between them. 'Hang on. This Lord Voldything's back, you say.'**

**'Yes.'**

**The one who murdered your parents.'**

**'Yes.'**

**'And now he's sending Dismembers after you?'**

**'Looks like it,' said Harry.**

**'I see,' said Uncle Vernon, looking from his white-faced wife to Harry and hitching up his trousers. He seemed to be swelling, his great purple face stretching before Harry's eyes. 'Well, that settles it,' he said, his shirt front straining as he inflated himself, 'you can get out of this house, boy!'**

**'What?' said Harry.**

**'You heard me - OUT!' Uncle Vernon bellowed, and even Aunt Petunia and Dudley jumped. 'OUT! OUT! I should've done this years ago! Owls treating the place like a rest home, puddings exploding, half the lounge destroyed, Dudley's tail, Marge bobbing around on the ceiling and that flying Ford Anglia - OUT! OUT! You've had it! You're history! You're not staying here if some loony's after you, you're not endangering my wife and son, you're not bringing trouble down on us. It you're going the same way as your useless parents, I've had it! OUT!'**

"He sounds like my dad when he disowned me." Sirius said, shuddering at the memory.

**Harry stood rooted to the spot. The letters from the Ministry, Mr Weasley and Sirius were all crushed in his left hand. Don't leave the house again, whatever you do. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE.**

**'You heard me!' said Uncle Vernon, bending forwards now, his massive purple face coming so close to Harry's, he actually felt flecks of spit hit his face. 'Get going! You were all keen to leave half an hour ago! I'm right behind you! Get out and never darken our doorstep again! Why we ever kept you in the first place, I don't know, Marge was right, it should have been the orphanage. We were too damn soft for our own good, thought we could squash it out of you, thought we could turn you normal, but you've been rotten from the beginning and I've had enough - owls!'**

**The fifth owl zoomed down the chimney so fast it actually hit the floor before zooming into the air again with a loud screech. Harry raised his hand to seize the letter, which was in a scarlet envelope, but it soared straight over his head, flying directly at Aunt Petunia, who let out a scream and ducked, her arms over her face. The owl dropped the red envelope on her head, turned, and flew straight back up the chimney.**

**Harry darted forwards to pick up the letter, but Aunt Petunia beat him to it.**

**'You can open it if you like,' said Harry, 'but I'll hear what it says anyway. That's a Howler.'**

**'Let go of it, Petunia!' roared Uncle Vernon. 'Don't touch it, it could be dangerous!'**

**'It's addressed to me,' said Aunt Petunia in a shaking voice. 'It's addressed to me, Vernon, look! Mrs Petunia Dursley, The Kitchen, Number Four, Privet Drive - '**

**She caught her breath, horrified. The red envelope had begun to smoke.**

**"A howler" someone explained to their muggle-born friends.**

**'Open it!' Harry urged her. 'Get it over with! It'll happen anyway.'**

Neville shuddered.

**'No.'**

**Aunt Petunia's hand was trembling. She looked wildly around the kitchen as though looking for an escape route, but too late - the envelope burst into flames. Aunt Petunia screamed and dropped it.**

**An awful voice filled the kitchen, echoing in the confined space, issuing from the burning letter on the table.**

**'Remember my last, Petunia.'**

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she might faint. She sank into the chair beside Dudley, her face in her hands. The remains of the envelope smouldered into ash in the silence.**

**'What is this?' Uncle Vernon said hoarsely. 'What - I don't - 'Petunia?'**

**Aunt Petunia said nothing. Dudley was staring stupidly at his mother, his mouth hanging open. The silence spiralled horribly. Harry was watching his aunt, utterly bewildered, his head throbbing fit to burst.**

**'Petunia, dear?' said Uncle Vernon timidly. 'P-Petunia?'**

**She raised her head. She was still trembling. She swallowed.**

**'The boy - the boy will have to stay, Vernon,' she said weakly.**

**'W-what?'**

**'He stays,' she said. She was not looking at Harry. She got to her feet again.**

**'He . . . but Petunia . . .'**

**'If we throw him out, the neighbours will talk,' she said. She was rapidly regaining her usual brisk, snappish manner, though she was still very pale. 'They'll ask awkward questions, they'll want to know where he's gone. We'll have to keep him.'**

**Uncle Vernon was deflating like an old tyre.**

**'But Petunia, dear - '**

**Aunt Petunia ignored him. She turned to Harry.**

**'You're to stay in your room,' she said. 'You're not to leave the house. Now get to bed.'**

**Harry didn't move.**

**'Who was that Howler from?'**

**'Don't ask questions,' Aunt Petunia snapped.**

**'Are you in touch with wizards?'**

**'I told you to get to bed!'**

**'What did it mean? Remember the last what?'**

**'Go to bed!'**

**'How come - ?'**

**'YOU HEARD YOUR AUNT, NOW GO UP TO BED!'**

"Okay that's the end of the chapter. Who wants to read next?"

Daphne Greengrass volunteered...

* * *

Sorry i haven't updated in a while, iv'e been really busy. Hopefully I'll have more chapters done soon.


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